The proposed work attempts to characterize the neurochemical and morphological correlates of optic nerve crush in a nonregenerating system. This information on the sequence of protein synthetic events which occurs within damaged retinal ganglion cell bodies and their axonal process will provide a basis for future experimental attempts to facilitate regeneration by manipulation of the protein synthetic machinery of lesioned neurons. Analysis of the response to optic nerve crush will be made on the basis of uptake into protein of intraocularly injected 3H-lysine in rats sacrificed at varying postoperative times. Determination of the sequence of protein synthetic events and the rate of transport of newly synthesized protein after damage will be done by scintillation counting over selected segments of the optic nerve and retina. The scintillation counting will be correlated with autoradiographic observations of corresponding areas of the retina and optic nerve. These correlated measurements should make it possible to measure the extent of coincidence between the morphological state of the cell and its protein synthetic activity.